Last checked November 2026 against 21 sources · Editorial policy
Dr. Mary Claire Haver: credentials, advice and what the evidence says
Mary Claire Haver, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN in Galveston, Texas, and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. The federal NPI registry lists her as an OB/GYN with Texas license L3992. She wrote The Galveston Diet (2023), The New Menopause (2024) and The New Perimenopause (2026), and runs The 'Pause Wellness clinic. Her hormone therapy advice largely matches Menopause Society guidance; her diet and supplement advice rests on thinner evidence.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver checked: Texas OB/GYN license L3992, Menopause Society certification, her books, clinic, Pause Strong program and supplements, and which of her advice trials support.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“Mary Claire Haver is a social media influencer selling supplements, so her menopause advice can't be trusted”
What the evidence shows
She is a licensed OB/GYN with Menopause Society certification, and her core message on hormone therapy fits the society's 2022 position statement. The weaker spots are the products her company sells, such as a 5 g creatine powder: in a 2-year trial, creatine on its own did nothing for bone or muscle in postmenopausal women.
Mary Claire Haver: credentials, advice and evidence
Mary Claire Haver's credentials, checked
Haver graduated from Louisiana State University Medical Center and did her OB/GYN residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch, finishing in 2002. Her clinic lists her as board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner and a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist. We checked the federal NPI registry ourselves: NPI 1285634477 lists Obstetrics & Gynecology as her primary specialty, Texas license L3992 and a Galveston address.
Haver's clinic: The 'Pause Wellness in Galveston
Haver opened her clinic in 2021, first as Mary Claire Wellness, after patients kept asking for in-person visits. Now called The 'Pause Wellness, it treats women in midlife and combines medical history, symptoms, nutrition, exercise, supplements and, where it fits, hormone therapy, which Haver calls the Menopause Toolkit. The clinic advertises full lab and body-composition evaluation. There's one location, so most of her followers won't ever be her patients.
Learn more →Mary Claire Haver's books
Haver has three books from Rodale. The Galveston Diet came out in January 2023 (288 pages, $28 hardcover list price). The New Menopause followed on April 30, 2024 (320 pages, $28) and became a #1 New York Times bestseller. The New Perimenopause came out in April 2026 (368 pages, $32) and covers the years before periods stop. All three are sold in print, ebook and audio.
Learn more →Haver on hormone therapy: close to the guidelines
Haver is one of the loudest public voices for hormone therapy, and in 2025 she praised the FDA's move to remove the boxed warning from many estrogen products. We think that stance is closer to mainstream guidance than her critics suggest. The Menopause Society's 2022 statement calls hormone therapy the most effective treatment for hot flashes and says the benefit-risk balance is favorable for most women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause.
Learn more →Haver on creatine: popular, thin on menopause data
Her supplement line sells a 5 g creatine monohydrate powder for $45.48 and a Protein + Creatine shake with 22 g protein and 3 g creatine for $53.86. The best long-term trial in postmenopausal women gave 3 g a day for 2 years and found no benefit for bone density, muscle mass or function. Reviews report gains mainly when creatine is paired with resistance training, which Haver also recommends.
Learn more →Haver on fiber and protein: mostly well supported
Fiber was Haver's first product: Fiber GDX gives 7 g of soluble and insoluble fiber for $47.88. Here we'd side with her: the advice behind it holds up. A Lancet series of meta-analyses found the largest drops in heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer at 25 g to 29 g of fiber a day, from food. On protein she recommends 1.5 to 1.8 g per kilogram of lean body mass, or 30 to 35 g per meal.
Learn more →Where Haver's advice is weaker
The Galveston Diet was built on 16:8 intermittent fasting. A 2026 Cochrane review of 22 trials found fasting no better than regular diet advice for weight loss, and Healthline's review notes the diet itself was never tested. Haver's own program has moved on: the old Galveston Diet page now sells Pause Strong for $99, focused on protein, fiber and strength, with no meal plans. And her company sells the supplements she recommends, which she doesn't hide but readers shouldn't forget.
Learn more →Mary Claire Haver by the numbers
L3992
2021
320 pages
$99
Follower counts come from her own sites and differ: over 3 million on the clinic page, over 7 million on the book page.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It doesn't change what we recommend. How this works →
Mary Claire Haver's books, program, clinic and supplements
The New Menopause (book, 2024)
Learn more →Good for
320 pages; $28 hardcover list price; A to Z symptom toolkit and a section on hormone therapy research.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Written before the FDA's November 2025 move on boxed warnings.The New Perimenopause (book, 2026)
Good for
368 pages; $32 hardcover list price; written for the years before periods stop.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
New, so few independent reviews yet.The Galveston Diet (book, 2023)
Learn more →Good for
288 pages; $28 hardcover list price; 40 recipes and 6 weeks of meal plans.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Built on 16:8 fasting, which a 2026 Cochrane review found no better than standard advice.Pause Strong online program
Good for
$99 once, lifetime access; protein, fiber, strength, sleep and stress; free 28-day challenge first.Watch
No meal plans; sold on her company's site.The 'Pause Nutrition supplements
Good for
Creatine 5 g for $45.48; Fiber GDX with 7 g fiber for $47.88.Watch
Sold by her own company; her program says supplements are not required.The 'Pause Wellness clinic, Galveston
Learn more →Good for
In-person menopause care with labs, body composition and hormone therapy when it fits.Watch
One location in Texas; elsewhere, compare online menopause clinics.
How to use Dr. Haver's advice
- Check hormone therapy advice against your age and years since menopause: the balance is clearest under 60 or within 10 years.
- Treat supplement recommendations as optional: Haver's own program says supplements are not required.
- Get fiber from food first; the biggest risk reductions were at 25 g to 29 g a day.
- If you try creatine, pair it with strength training; on its own it didn't help bone or muscle over 2 years.
When to see a doctor, not just follow Haver online
Symptoms affecting your daily life
See a menopause-trained clinician; social media advice can't assess your history.
More →Deciding about hormone therapy
Discuss your own risks, including blood clots and breast cancer history, with a doctor.
More →Bleeding after menopause
See a doctor promptly, whatever you've read or watched.
More →
Mary Claire Haver: questions people ask
Is Dr. Mary Claire Haver a real doctor?
Yes. She is an OB/GYN who trained at Louisiana State University Medical Center and the University of Texas Medical Branch. The federal NPI registry lists her under Obstetrics & Gynecology with Texas license L3992, and her clinic lists board certification and Menopause Society certification.
Is Mary Claire Haver legit?
Her medical credentials check out, and her hormone therapy advice is close to The Menopause Society's position. We'd be more skeptical of the supplements her company sells and of the fasting-based Galveston Diet, which has not been tested in its own trial.
What does Mary Claire Haver recommend for HRT?
She supports hormone therapy for women with symptoms and praised the FDA's 2025 move to drop the boxed warning from many estrogen products. The Menopause Society says the benefit-risk balance is favorable for most women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause who have no contraindications.
What supplements does Dr. Mary Claire Haver recommend?
Her company sells creatine (5 g), Fiber GDX (7 g of fiber), Protein + Creatine, omega-3 with vitamins D3 and K2, a multivitamin, a sleep formula, turmeric and collagen. Her own program page says supplements are not required and only fill gaps in nutrition.
Does Mary Claire Haver recommend creatine?
Yes, she sells a 5 g creatine monohydrate powder for women in midlife. In a 2-year trial in postmenopausal women, 3 g a day of creatine alone didn't improve bone density or muscle. Reviews suggest benefits mainly when creatine is combined with resistance training.
What books has Mary Claire Haver written?
Three books from Rodale: The Galveston Diet (2023), The New Menopause (2024), a #1 New York Times bestseller, and The New Perimenopause (2026). Hardcover list prices are $28, $28 and $32.
Where is Dr. Mary Claire Haver's clinic?
The 'Pause Wellness is in Galveston, Texas, and there isn't a second location. She opened it in 2021 as Mary Claire Wellness. It offers in-person menopause care with labs and body composition testing. If you don't live nearby, an online menopause clinic or a local Menopause Society certified clinician is the practical option.
Sources
- CMS NPPES NPI Registry. Mary Claire Haver, M.D., NPI 1285634477: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Texas license L3992. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- The ’Pause Wellness. Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, MSCP: clinician profile. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- Wikipedia. Mary Claire Haver. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- The North American Menopause Society. The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022;29(7):767-794.
- The ’Pause Life. Supplements (The ’Pause Nutrition): Creatine, Fiber GDX, Protein + Creatine and others, prices. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- Sales LP, Pinto AJ, Rodrigues SF, et al. Creatine Supplementation (3 g/d) and Bone Health in Older Women: A 2-Year, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020;75(5):931-938.
- The ’Pause Wellness. A wellness clinic for women in midlife, Galveston, Texas. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- The ’Pause Life. Our story: founder, milestones and team. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- Penguin Random House. The Galveston Diet by Mary Claire Haver, MD (Rodale Books, 2023): ISBN 9780593578896, format, pages, list price. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- Penguin Random House. The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD (Rodale Books, 2024): ISBN 9780593796252, format, pages, list price. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- Penguin Random House. The New Perimenopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD (Rodale Books, 2026): ISBN 9780593736616, format, pages, list price. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- US Food and Drug Administration. HHS advances women's health, removes misleading FDA warnings on hormone replacement therapy. November 10, 2025.
- Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, et al. Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):877.
- Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434-445.
- Haver MC. The power of protein and resistance training. The ’Pause Blog. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- Garegnani LI, Oltra G, Ivaldi D, et al. Intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2026;2(2):CD015610.
- Nikam S; medically reviewed by Kubala J. Does the Galveston diet help menopausal women lose weight? Healthline, May 18, 2021.
- The ’Pause Life. Pause Strong online program (the former Galveston Diet program page): price, contents and FAQ. Accessed November 8, 2026.
- The North American Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590.
- NHS. Postmenopausal bleeding.
- The ’Pause Life. The New Menopause book page. Accessed November 8, 2026.
See our editorial policy.
Related guides
The New Menopause book
The New Menopause (Rodale, 2024; 320 pages; $28 list) reviewed: what is in it, where it matches The Menopause …
Galveston Diet review
The Galveston Diet reviewed: 16:8 fasting, anti-inflammatory food and Fuel Refocus, the $28 book vs the $99 Pa…
Best menopause and perimenopause books, ranked
Twelve menopause and perimenopause books ranked by topic, author credentials, year and list price: The New Men…
HRT benefits and risks
HRT relieves hot flashes, sleep and mood symptoms and protects bone. Breast cancer, clot and stroke risk depen…